The invention relates to an attachment for snow skis which receives a sail assembly or sail rig as used in sailboarding, to permit snow skis to be used for wind skiing.
Board sailing is a popular sport which permits a modified surfboard to be wind driven by using a manually supported sail assembly or sail rig, which is releasably connected and freely-jointed to the board. It is known to provide an attachment which interconnects a pair of snow skis and receives a conventional sail assembly or sail rig as used in sailboarding to permit wind skiing over snow. An example of such an attachment is shown in German patent publication DE 3506-609-A, filed in the name of Mistral Windsurfing. This publication discloses a cross-beam interconnecting a pair of skis, the cross-beam having a mast socket to receive the sailing assembly. The invention provides a structure which maintains the skis at equal distances from the mast socket, while permitting spacing between the skis to vary. This structure permits use of standard ski bindings already fitted on the skis, but requires a relatively complex attachment using a moving looped cable and slider structure to maintain the skis at equal distances from the mask socket.
Other devices that permit use of a sail rig with snow skis are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,534,305 (Lecomte), 4,234,211 (Lux), 4,204,694 (Freeman), and 4,533,159 (Seidel). Some of these devices require special attachments that are permanently secured to the skis to permit attachment to a mast support, while others show a mast mounted on one ski only or show specially designed skis. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,957 (Holmgren) discloses an attachment which permits an ice skater to use a sail for wind sailing with ice skates.
None of the devices known to the applicant has a lightweight, mechanically simple structure which is easy to install on, and remove from, conventional skis, so as to permit the skis to be used for normal downhill skiing. In addition, none of the devices discloses a structure which provides easily adjustable self-centering forces which assist the skier in returning the skis to a "flat" condition, i.e. with flat or coplanar ski bases, with the skis parallel.